Circuit-make-and-break device.



A. A. ZIEGLER.

CIRCUIT MAKE AND BREAK DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEBJB, 1910. .1 ,03 1 ,3 1 2, I Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. A. ZIEGLER.

0x11011113 MAKE AND BREAK DEVICE.

Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 APPLICATION FILED PEBJB, 1910.

1720672 ior: @Zd 4%,A7

h/fiEm, W- W' UNITED STATES PATENT o e .AIZHFBIEHD A" ZIEGLEB, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T UNITED ELECTRIC APPARATUS COMPANY, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- "JHUSETTS.

' 8peciflcation oi! Iietters Patent.

I' CIRGUIT-MAKFlrAhTb-BREAK DEVICE.

Patented July2, 1912.

' Application filed February i8, 7 1910. Serial No. 544,630.

Toall whomit may concern: Be it known that I, ALFRED A. Zmomn, ofBoston, county of .Suilt'olk, State of Massachusetts, have invented anImprove; -meiit'in'Gircuit-Make-and Break Devices, of which thefollowinis a specification. 1 This invention re ates to circuit-operating; keys,or 'electni'cal devices for making an 1 breaking circuits,'-adapted'itobe' used alone ..0'-or in connection 'with'other electrical-de- It hasfor its object to construct a very strong, substantial and durabledevice having means for electrically connecting the parts thereof,whereby the employment of electric wires is obviated; and having im-'proved'forms oielectric-contacts, which are notliable toget out'of'order. Such a device is well suited to railway signaling work, -'w'liereit is apt ta'be roughly used and given. -butlittle'f-attenti'on.

' Figure Tis a front- View of .a circuitoperating key embodyingthis"invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of'the same zsitaken onthe dotted line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is. a longitudinal vertical sectionof the same, taken on the dotted line 33, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front viewof the under contactmemher. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal vertical section ofthe same taken on the dotted line 5" 5,'Fi 4; Figs. 6 and'7 are frontviews of modi ed forms of circuit-operating'keys embodying thisinvention. Fig. 8 is a side view of the circuit-operating key shown in:

. Fig. 7. Figs. 9, 10, 11 and :12 aredetails to be referred to.

a represents the base-plate, and b the movable leverof the key orcontact-member, 'hawihg' at'its outer end a knob 12', or pro- 4o uidediwith. any; other; means by which it may'beldepressed. Said key-member bmay be made'a s a" flat-plate or' bar, preferably spring-acting, andconnected at its inner end -to the base-plate a. As's'hown in Fig. 1 itis' attached to the base-plate by several pins -b which are driven into'the bas'e plate, and also by the attachingrmeans for a" bindin i.posts-of improved construction. The 19' .ingwpost com rises a bodychaving a scre'w i 5o threaded eon r-hole through'it, see-Fig. 3;

contact-members, one or' both of which may and having an ear 0' extended'latera'lly from ,it, and said body and ear are formed with a continuousflat surface adapting them to rest onthe key-member b. The ear isattached to the key-member, as by a screw 0. A screw 0 extends throughalined holes in the-base-plate a and key-member b and body a, andprojects a short distance above said body,' and on the projectingendofsaid screw'a' binding-nut atherein shown 'as a thumb-nut, is turned,which is arrangedto engage 'thetop of the body a, or-'a wire ar-- rangedbetween them,-aud also on said r0- ectmg 'end'a check-nut c is turned toold the binding-nut securely in lace. The end of the check-nut may beshtted so that it may be pinched together to tightly grip the screw.When the parts of the binding-post,

thus described, are assembled, rigidly connected with the base-plate,the key-member Ii is'additionally secured to the'baselate, and as thebody '0 of said' post'is: a con actor for the-current a very efficientelectrical connection with said key-member is made, particularly as theear 0 is also a conductor for the current and also engages saidkeymembei'. f

In lieu of arranging the bindinIg-post c on the key-member, as. shown in1, a' body-plate e, with or without an ear'e may be arranged on thekey-member, see Figs. 6 and 7, which is secured in place thereonbyscrewsv e, e, extendingithrou'gh the plate and key-member and into thebase-plate, andsaid 'plate may be. formed-integrall with I the body of'a biriding'po'st e, byra' ink-e. Hence I do not desire tolimit myinvention to employing the attaching-screw 0 of a binding-post toadditionally secure'the' keymember to the base-plate, as saidbindingpost may be otherwise disposed and electrically connected withthe key-member.

The'outer'end portion of the key'anember occupies a position between twostationary be connected with bindingosts. The ap-- per contact-membercomprises a contact-.- point cl, formed on the'end of a shrewd,

-which extends through a' hole in abraiclt'et d, and a: check-nut d maybe placed on: said a binding-post by the binding rpost integrallyconnected with" 'a binding-post for p which a; screw passes to assist inholding the bracket.

' gage the top ofthe'body or a wlre arranged between them, anc 1"alsomay receive upon it t a check-nut 1 By providing supports for receivesupon it a adapted to engage the reason that contactmember comprisesa'contact-point f,

, "portinglate n e -se Ib'iy; 'al s'crew". f extending upthrough-thefbase-plate and into a threaded socket in the under s ide of sa'i'dsupporting-plate, or by J 'other s'uitable 'means.- -Said' supporting-fvplate-f, integrally connectedwith the. body f of a binding-post byfialink f The body 1" has ascreW-threaded center-hole "through it, and thebase-plate and-body and projects :a-short section of the key-member orplate-isshown,

's'nj'u gly fit the hole and ofalength to pro- .j'ect "from both sidesof the key-member. .Said pin is wise pressure by"su-itable dies,

firnily fixed in theh'cle and its projecting g 1,os1,312 7 ends somewhatenlarged, thereby inseparably ing gagement with other contacts.

Referring screw 1., or other member designed to have a contact-point atits where, has a hole drilled in'it' to receive a pin,, and a pin whichsubstantially fits the hole is j d'rive'n into the hole-and: projectstherefrom a shortdis'tance, and said pin is screw. The bracket (1consists of an arm rising from a foot and curved to extend over the topof the movable key-member, and its foot rests upon the baseplate, a,vand is rigidly secured thereto by a screw d, or other suitable rneans;i; In 1' Fig; 1 said bracket d is integrally connected with the body, (190fa link 01". The body 41 of has a screw threaded cens ter-holethroughitfor, a screw d, which ex tcnds through the base-plate and body, andprojects a short distance above the .body and binding-nut 03 which isthe vJtop of the body,or a wire arranged between them, and also mayreceive upon it a check-nutd".

Referring to Fig. 6, the bracket-d is not able dies, whereby itis firmlyfixed in position in v,the somewhat enlarged, thereby i'nseparablyconnecting it with the screw or other member and forming a large fiatsurface at the end for the engagement of another contact. Referring toFigs .;7 and 8, the under contact-member, is; not connected with abindhecontact "borneby itm'erely serves as aback-stop for-the keymember; butsaid bracket' hja's' an ear d extended vlaterall'yftroln 'its foot,through stop for thekey -member. r a t While the several component partsof the circuit-operating key herein shown lwhen assemble d,;form a verydurable device, well suitedtormany purposes, yetfparts' o'f lthedevicemay be used connection with other electric devices togoodadvantage, A a The contact-pin. ha jshown particularl'y in Figs. 9,10,,11=and .12, securedin place by enlarging its body by endwisepressure upon it, ,forms the subject-matter. of a divisionalapplicatibm, #693,120, filed April 25," 1912.

' Having thus, described my'inven'tion, what I claimv as new and desireltolsecure- Letters Patent. is: 'I

; 1. In .a circuit make-andbreak device, a base-plate, a movablekey-member attached thereto; a contact-pointarran'ged below saidkey-member, asupporting-plate socketed to receive said cont'act-pointandhaving its under sidea screw-threaded socket, a screw extending throughthe-base plat'e which enters said screw t readed socket to therebyconnect the supporting-plate with the baseplate, a binding-post securedto the'baseplate having a. body and a link integrally connecting saidsupporting plate and body, substantially as described.

2. In a" circuit nake-fand breal: device, a base-plate, a resilientkey-member attached atone end thereto, a bracket.{ extended over saidkey-member having afoot resting on the base-plate, a contact screwextended through the forward. extremity of said bracket above thekeymiember adapted to be engaged bysaid key membena screw extendedthrough'the foot ofjsajid bracket into the base-plate, a binding-posthaving a body arranged .on said base-plate, anattachingscrew for saidbinding-post connected with the base-plate, a link extending from thebody of said binding-post to the foot or said bracket which is formedintegrally there- 'Beferring'to Figsi 1, 2 3116,61, the lower. '31s as asmallpin set in'a, socket in a supf, which rests upon the base-' which-irigidly secured thereto a screwf"?- extends through distance abovethebody and receives upon it abinding-nutf which is adapted to en-.

the stationary contact-members and inte-. grally 'connecting them withthe-bindingposts, circuit-wires are not required to make The key-mem--ducting material, is driven into and through Figs; 9 and I0, ,whereina acontact-pin b composed of platinum or same equivalent metal of highelectrical con ductivity,'isf driven through the hole'in the key-member,and-said pin is of'a size to then subjected to severe endwhereby it isto Figs' ll and .12, a contact-' extremity or elsethen subjected toend-wiseipressure by suithole and its projecting end.

ing -pbst, and ,thereforefmerelyserves as a connecting it with the plateand formlarge .flat surfaces at its ends for envwith whereby anintegrally formed member name to this specification, in the presence ofis produced which is attached to the: basetwo subscribing witnesses.

plate at both of its ends and bears a contact-member at one end end hasa, connec'-' ALFRED ZI-EGLER' 5 tion for a circuit-wire at the otherend, sub Witnesses: stantia-lly as described. B. J. Nome,

' In testimony whereof, I have signed my H. B. DAvm.

' copies this patent niay be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington,-D. 0.

